We all experience stress, especially in aspects related to our work:
In the United Kingdom, the most common type of stress in 2020 was work stress, above that caused by financial, family, or health situation. If you need a new key, have locked yourself out of your property, want to increase the security at your office, or need a replacement car key, you can depend on a professional locksmith to help you. We have the experience and the knowledge to assist with any of your needs.
In the United States, work was the leading cause of personal stress in 2019.
In a recent survey carried out in 23 markets (including Nigeria, Turkey, and Indonesia), work was found to be one of the main causes of stress.
So how can we combat stress at work, and how can we prevent stress at work? First, we are going to define what stress are, what are its causes, and the ways in which we can prevent it based on scientific evidence.
What is stress? Maybe it’s not what you think
People tend to think of stress in two ways, as if it were a source of pride or as a merciless enemy, so first let’s define it: “Stress is a natural human response to a difficult or dangerous situation,” as defined by Health direct Australia (an Australian government-approved health information provider). Have you heard the term “fight or flight reaction”? This term perfectly describes the stress response because the two reactions are actually the same.
In the examples I mentioned earlier, stress would help you quickly get out of the way of the car or rush to finish the project so you can get it delivered on time.
Chronic stress: a global problem
If stress is a normal response of the body, why try to control it? Because work stress as a chronic situation can become a detrimental health problem.
Chronic work stress can have harmful consequences for your health:
It can lead to exhaustion. When stress is not addressed, it can lead to job burnout. This problem has become so common that in 2019 the World Health Organization included a definition of job burnout in its disease manual. He defines it as a syndrome caused by “chronic stress at work that has not been successfully controlled.”
What are the symptoms of job stress? The WHO notes that burnout is characterized by a “feeling of lack of energy or exhaustion; mental distancing towards work, feelings of negativity or cynicism in relation to work; and decreased professional effectiveness.”
It can damage your DNA. Some research suggests that chronic stress causes a shortening of telomeres (protective coverings at the ends of chromosomes), which can result in premature cellular aging. Before investing in the $ 95 anti-wrinkle cream, check your stress levels!
It can damage the brain. In a study published in the journal Neurology, elevated levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) were found to be associated with decreased brain volume and memory loss, especially in women.
It can exacerbate a physical illness or cause one. Some research has associated stress at work with physical health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, and sleep disorders. And the problem is not limited to the first world: a larger study of more than 150,000 people in 142 countries found that around the world, negative emotions (including stress) negatively affect physical health.
It can exacerbate or cause mental illness. Chronic stress at work can lead to depression and increase your risk of developing an eating disorder. It can also make symptoms of mental illness worse.